Misleading title. No, KW does not want baseball to be shut down. KW says that if baseball absolutely needs to be shut down to prevent the insanity that goes on in the NBA occurring in MLB, he would be for it.

Quote: “We have gotten to the point of no return. Something has to happen. And if it means the game being shut down for the sake of bringing sanity to it, to franchises that aren’t going to stop the insanity, I’m all for it.”

aryzner

02-21-2011, 08:19 PM

I also agree with KW and I'm especially glad our GM would not spend $30M on one player.

SephClone89

02-21-2011, 08:19 PM

Goddammit, Rockabilly.

balke

02-21-2011, 08:23 PM

I also agree with KW and I'm especially glad our GM would not spend $30M on one player.

One Pujols would make more money for this organization than Peavy and Jackson. I get what Kenny is saying but he's wrong only in this case. This might be the best hitter in history and he plays a solid 1st base.

DirtySox

02-21-2011, 08:32 PM

Goddammit, Rockabilly.

I knew it from the title.

Fenway

02-21-2011, 08:35 PM

Look

The PA will never agree to a salary cap.

The ONLY way this will stop is all LOCAL TV money has to be pooled and split 30 ways...so that NESN, YES, the CSN's become partners with MLB, not a local team.

Veeck was screaming about this 60 years ago when he owned the Browns. His point was if the Browns are playing NYY then he should get a piece of the NYY TV money.

Pete Rozelle listened to Veeck and he stopped the big regional networks that the Giants, Browns and Bears had developed.

It is the ONLY way to stop it but it may well be too late.

JermaineDye05

02-21-2011, 08:40 PM

I do agree, but it's not gonna happen.

I mean just look what Boston did this past winter, and that Soriano contract by the Yankees.

TDog

02-21-2011, 09:12 PM

I also agree with KW and I'm especially glad our GM would not spend $30M on one player.

There are 25 players on a team, so it's not going to be like the NBA, where one star player can take a whole franchise hostage. A max contract might not be the worst thing in the world (If they fix it so that the max contract is bigger for the team that has that player's rights), but the amount would have to be determined.

ShooterMcGavin

02-21-2011, 09:32 PM

Lower all salaries 80% and do the same for ticket prices. Thank you.

Red Barchetta

02-21-2011, 09:38 PM

If a salary cap guaranteed that my ticket prices, parking prices and general concession costs all were reduced, I am all for it.

However, if the owners succeed, I doubt they will pass any of the savings onto the fans and they will only increase their profits.

Albert Pujols will continue to be a rich man.

The man who pays Albert Pujols however, is wealthy.

TaylorStSox

02-21-2011, 09:40 PM

I think the fiasco may balance itself out. Soon, we'll reach the point where fan bases dwindle to the point that MLB has to act. Just about half the teams in baseball will lose a generation of fans as kids realize their hometown teams can't realistically compete. Kids growing up in Pittsburgh, KC, Cleveland and so on will soon become disenfranchised IMO. Take the Sox, for example. I grew up knowing that we hadn't won in years, mostly due to being a poorly run organization. There was always that hope that we'd turn it around though. The playing field was more balanced. In today's game, there really is no chance for a lot of these franchises.

Fenway

02-21-2011, 09:50 PM

$6.6B of revenue last year.
$2.7B of player payroll.

I know they have other expenses, but

Lip Man 1

02-21-2011, 10:38 PM

There will never be a salary cap in baseball as long as the MLBPA is alive and functioning.

I doubt it. His father hasn't been dead a year, and he's already whining about his payroll and the luxury tax.

Huisj

02-21-2011, 10:45 PM

Misleading title. No, KW does not want baseball to be shut down. KW says that if baseball absolutely needs to be shut down to prevent the insanity that goes on in the NBA occurring in MLB, he would be for it.

Quote: “We have gotten to the point of no return. Something has to happen. And if it means the game being shut down for the sake of bringing sanity to it, to franchises that aren’t going to stop the insanity, I’m all for it.”

I think it was more along the lines of saying that the NBA model is better because teams actually do have a chance of signing or re-signing star players somewhat regardless of their market. His example is that Cleveland did indeed have the money to re-sign James for the same price Miami gave him if he had wanted to return.

doublem23

02-21-2011, 11:01 PM

I doubt it. His father hasn't been dead a year, and he's already whining about his payroll and the luxury tax.

And the fact that the Yankees haven't won a World Series since 2009.

I don't know if Pujols is the magic man for the $30 M/year deal, but I'd think within 3 years someone will be getting that kind of money.

balke

02-21-2011, 11:35 PM

And the fact that the Yankees haven't won a World Series since 2009.

I don't know if Pujols is the magic man for the $30 M/year deal, but I'd think within 3 years someone will be getting that kind of money.

He's the best hitter in baseball and didn't take steroids. If aroid can get 27.5 - Pujols can most certainly pull down 30. 30 for 10yrs is the tough one. If Albert wants 30 per for 3-5 yrs, I think even the Cardinals would pay it. For 8 dollar domestics and a packed stadium year round - they can afford it.

russ99

02-22-2011, 12:00 AM

There will never be a salary cap in baseball as long as the MLBPA is alive and functioning.

Lip

I disagree.

If there were a cap and floor with an overall salary increase, and current contracts were grandfathered in, IMO the rank and file would outvote the few stars making the megabucks.

Big longshot, but could happen. More likely they'd have to break the union like with NHL and NFL, and that means 1-2 years with no baseball. :(:

Gotta agree with Kenny. A-Rod's contract with Texas was the worst one in professional sports history, and sadly one of these idiots are going make that mistake again with Pujols.

Fenway

02-22-2011, 09:21 AM

A poster on NYYFANS.com responds as only a Yankee fan can

Is Reinsdorf playing this game again? His hypocrisy was completely exposed by the Albert Belle signing 15 years ago:

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1208/is_n49_v220/ai_18944687/

Lip Man 1

02-22-2011, 11:59 AM

The Albert Belle signing was done out of spite to other owners who voted to end the labor situation in 1995.

JR was shortly afterwards removed from the powerful committee that advised the commissioner on all labor matters.

Lip

Bobby Thigpen

02-22-2011, 12:10 PM

I think the fiasco may balance itself out. Soon, we'll reach the point where fan bases dwindle to the point that MLB has to act. Just about half the teams in baseball will lose a generation of fans as kids realize their hometown teams can't realistically compete. Kids growing up in Pittsburgh, KC, Cleveland and so on will soon become disenfranchised IMO. Take the Sox, for example. I grew up knowing that we hadn't won in years, mostly due to being a poorly run organization. There was always that hope that we'd turn it around though. The playing field was more balanced. In today's game, there really is no chance for a lot of these franchises.
Haven't people been saying pretty much the same stuff forever?

It's not going to change.

Jim Shorts

02-22-2011, 12:12 PM

Haven't people been saying pretty much the same stuff forever?

It's not going to change.

Mr. Veeck was quite the visionary. Wonder what he thought of 12.21.2012?

Fenway

02-22-2011, 12:16 PM

Mr. Veeck was quite the visionary. Wonder what he thought of 12.21.2012?

Bill would be selling hot dogs and beer for the event :tongue:

TheOldRoman

02-22-2011, 12:25 PM

He's the best hitter in baseball and didn't take steroids. If aroid can get 27.5 - Pujols can most certainly pull down 30. 30 for 10yrs is the tough one. If Albert wants 30 per for 3-5 yrs, I think even the Cardinals would pay it. For 8 dollar domestics and a packed stadium year round - they can afford it.But the problem is that is sets a precedent. Pujols is probably a top 5 hitter of all time, and someone who is highly marketable. It doesn't matter in contract negotiations. Teixiera and Gonzalez have signed, but Pujols' contract will set the table for Joey Votto in his next deal. The market won't say "You are great, but not as marketable as Pujols so you will only make $20 mil a year." He will get $30 mil/yr at least. Of course, that bumps the Paul Konerkos of the world up to $20 mil/year, which ends up with teams paying hot garbage like Kevin Millar $10 mil to play first. These contracts have reprocussions.

Hitmen77

02-24-2011, 12:36 PM

The guys on MLB Network were giving KW a hard time about this the other day. They weren't ripping on him.....they said they all like him and would be saying the same thing if they had his job. But they didn't agree with what he was saying.

IMO, KW is spot on. This isn't about how much rich owners should pay rich players, it's about the indisputable trend that certain big market teams can always buy themselves into contention while the bottom third of the league has to hope for a Tampa Bay-type quick run at success before FA dismantles your team.

It's no bizarre coincidence that payroll and market size line up almost perfectly in MLB (though there are a few outliers). It's not just that the small market owners are all cheap and the big market owners just happen to be the ones willing to spend to win.

Yeah, we all heard that the Pirates made a $10 million profit last year, but the reality is that them putting that $10 million back into payroll will still leave them with a crappy team.

Look

The PA will never agree to a salary cap.

The ONLY way this will stop is all LOCAL TV money has to be pooled and split 30 ways...so that NESN, YES, the CSN's become partners with MLB, not a local team.

Veeck was screaming about this 60 years ago when he owned the Browns. His point was if the Browns are playing NYY then he should get a piece of the NYY TV money.

Pete Rozelle listened to Veeck and he stopped the big regional networks that the Giants, Browns and Bears had developed.

It is the ONLY way to stop it but it may well be too late.

This is an excellent point. This is the biggest cause of constant dominance of big market teams. It doesn't matter if Milwaukee draws 35,000 people per game. In the end, they simply cannot match the local TV revenue generated by the big markets.

Fan support isn't nearly enough. Small and medium markets can support their teams all they want. But in the end, they still get blown away by teams like NYY and Bos.